AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Saint Joseph's College Monks (1-4) suffered their third loss to a nationally-ranked team in the last two days with a 9-3 setback at the hands of #18 Aurora University (5-0) in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Monday morning.

Aurora took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and the one-run edge remained until the bottom of the fifth, when the Spartans struck for six runs off just two hits to put the game out of reach.

SJC pitchers walked a pair of batters and plunked three others – including two with the bases loaded – during the game-changing fifth frame.

The Monks' bats finally came to life in the top of the ninth, as St. Joe's plated three runs off three hits and an Aurora error to account for the 9-3 final.

Aurora starter Carter Turnquist improved to 2-0 on the season after scattering three hits with two walks and three K's over seven innings. Justin Sartori led the offensive effort by going 3-4 with a run, two doubles, and two RBI and catcher Jett Wedekind was 2-5 with two runs and an RBI.

For the Monks, sophomore starter Matt Bergeron (Salem, Mass.) takes the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) off four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Junior reliever Jonathan Marchia (Chicopee, Mass.) struck out one in a clean frame of work. Freshman Jonathan Dube (Rochester, N.H.) was 2-4 while junior outfielders Hunter Richardson (Monmouth, Mass.) and Kevin Aylward (East Bridgewater, Mass.) both recorded doubles in the setback.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's will face Rose-Hulman tomorrow at 9:45 AM.

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